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Tag Archives: Mystic

We have spent approx a month in the Long Island/ Block Island Sounds enjoying the many anchorages and towns in the area.

Long Island Sound is located between Connecticut (CT) to the North and Long Island, NY to the South with many rivers emptying into the sound. This is the first place where we have come that has a lot of sailing boats and people getting out and using them. Every weekend there are people out racing smaller sailing boats looking like they are having fun. Even came across a Tall ship with youth sailors who had been out sailing.

There are many places to anchor or moor throughout the sound so makes it great grounds for cruisin’. The houses along the coast of Long Island are huge. Who lives in these mansions?

We enjoyed The Thimble Islands, CT, which is a group of small pink granite rock islands with homes on them. Each island varies in size and number of homes. We were invited onto Money Island where there are 32 homes packed onto the small island. Everyone we met on the island was so friendly.

Money Island

Noank/ Mystic, CT area is a nice area with a lot of historic buildings and a working seaport museum with some very old wooden boats that they restore and still use. Really interesting place to wander around.

The seafood at Fords in Noank is fresh and the location on the water great

Swinging Rail bridge on way up to Mystic

Town of Mystic down to the Mystic highway lifting bridge

bridge opening

A small part of the huge nautical Museum

The Charles W. Morgan built in 1841 at the museum

Enjoying the Mystic food festival with Graham & Fi from Kairos

Watching the Mystic Rowing Regatta just off our perfect anchorage

Block Island is at the far eastern end of the Long Island sound and is a beautiful serene area with a very protected harbor. The island was great to bike around. It was amazing how many people came in on the ferries each day to enjoy the many beaches, shops, restaurants and bars on the island.

the parade of boats up the channel to the anchorage, yes popular

Mohegan’s Bluff with its 200ft cliffs and 100 steps down to the popular beach

Spring House Hotel with its enormous veranda and great views

At the Beachhead ordering $1 oysters; yum

We stopped at Watch Hill for the Labor Day long weekend to enjoy the sandy beaches and town. On arrival there were yachts out racing in the sound. The Ocean House is pretty impressive up on the hill overlooking the sound.

Ocean House: Croquet is even set up on the perfect lawns

Aphrodite a 74ft motor launch passed us in the Watch Hill anchorage. Wow, nice looking boat and when it picked up speed and took off you could see the power. The boat was recently restored and you can read stories of it on the Internet.Shelter Island and the Hamptons’ area on Long Island, NY was an interesting area with some cute towns to wander around and all sorts of people from all walks of life. Shame the weather wasn’t better to get some good photos but we have realized we need to head south, its cold (relatively) here.

Brett fancied this lighthouse off Orient as a home…ah I don’t think so.